Any ideas how safely clean our engine bays? Step? What to use?

Mine is full of dust :-(

 

Every time I wash my 2016, I spray the entire engine bay out with compressed air (I have an 80 gallon compressor), and wipe down the plastic parts with Meguiar's interior dressing. On my S197, things had gotten a little out of hand, so I needed to cover all the electrical bits (and exposed air filter element), then spray everything with a 10:1 mix of Simple Green (10 parts water/1 part Simple Green), let it sit for a few minutes, scrub with a soft brush, then rinse. I did that two or three times, then let everything dry, and dressed it with the interior dressing. I know that various companies make engine dressing, but I've never tried it.

The biggest issue is making sure that if you use water, you're covering your air filter, battery, and alternator with plastic sheeting.

JR

 

thx JR, planning on buying some dressing and soft brush today. So many options online and on YT i wasn't sure

 

Wait...I take back what I said about the Simple Green. I used that on the insides of my rims to clean off the brake dust.

For the engine bay, I used two cans of Gunk Foamy Engine Brite degreaser, according to the instructions on the can.

JR

 

Regular maintenance is the key. My Mustang is black so I made a conscience effort to stay on top of it from the very beginning. Water spotting is the worst so the engine bay gets a major detailing after every wash. At least once a week, especially after a lot of driving, all plastic covers get wiped down with Mothers Back to Black and exposed metal surfaces get wiped down with glass cleaner. My coil covers and plenum covers are painted hi gloss black and red. The plenum cover especially is a dust magnet and periodically I take off the strut tower brace so I can remove the plenum for a cleaning and a lite coat of wax.

I admit I'm **** about cleaning, but the results are worth it.

 

lol no worries haven't bought it yet :-)

 

wow, thx for response I was looking at a black dressing, I'll look in to it. Your engine bay sounds spotless :-)

 

Do you have pictures of those coil covers?

 

Happy to oblige....

 

Well I just finished cleaning engine bay with gunk cleaner (stage 1) and spray dressing with meguires back to black spray. Not happy with results, recommend others go with gunk original (slightly tougher) and liquid dressing not spray. Don't use terry cloth, it'll leave cotton strands.

 

If your issue is dust, just by a multi purpose cleaner, spray on and wipe off. Nice and clean

 

I think you're right, sometimes the best answer is the simplest :-) thx

 

If someone finds their engine bay a train wreck from years of cleaning neglect, lack there of, degreaser, power washer and soft brush will clean it right up. Just make sure one covers up an open CAI should one have. Lol.

Top off with a nice plastics shine up spray.

 

As someone mentioned earlier in the thread, regular maintenance is the key. I simply use water and rags, nothing else. I make sure to wipe down the underside of the hood, around the felt hood liner. Then of course every exposed piece of body metal. Then the engine cover and coil covers. Then all plastic items. Just water and rages. If done once every 3-6 months since new, no problem. If you have a lot of dust/grease/dirt then you may need the chemicals. Once you do get it clean, try to stay on top of it. The 5.0 engine bay is especially good-looking IMO. I've removed my sound tube, and I think it looks better and is easier to clean that driver's side now.

 

This is a friend's '09 Challenger....amazingly sanitary and well organized engine bay.

 

Nice Chally engine bay. Here is a pic of mine (before I removed the sound tube).


Engine IMG 0016

 

I must be the only person that doesn't despise the sound tube.

 

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Correct, you are.

 

As some wise member on here said, the key to a clean engine bay is maintaining cleanliness on a routine basis. Just a little 15 minute routine clean will keep an engine bay looking great.

 

I also get the "powerball" out that chip foose sold me and use whatever is my favorite metal brightener at the time on the engine parts to polish. This also works well on the engine bay strut towers and firewall to shine up. I usually do this after it is cleaned and the engine dressing has been applied. I have every version of the "powerball" in my arsenal. *****, cones, big, little... If it can be spun with a drill, I have tried it. I am basically lazy and look for shortcuts wherever possible!